'He changed the way basketball was covered in Australia'

This week was a special one at NBL HQ with the official opening of the Corey Williams Studio, two years since his heartbreaking passing.

To mark the special occasion, Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams’ partner Filly and daughter Gabby were on hand to cut the red tape for the studio.

“This is huge, he [Williams] would have loved this,” Filly said to NBL Media.

“He loved NBL, and he was very proud to show [it off].

“I wish the circumstances were different and he was here to cut the ribbon for him, but they’re not.

“It [the studio] is amazing, he would have loved it. It's beautiful, huge, and I love the picture outside.

“I really appreciate this; it means a lot. I can't wait to tell my daughter what her father did and the impact he had on the younger generation.”

That impact isn’t lost on anyone, including Williams’ former NBL Overtime co-hosts, Liam Santamaria and Cam Luke.

“Working with Corey in a game or on a show, for me, was like playing with the best player in the League,” Santamaria said.

“You just needed to get him the ball in his favourite spots, sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

“You didn't always know what was coming, but then at some times you knew exactly what was coming, and you just needed to give him that [platform].

“He was an entertainer, agitator and the genuine article, developed from the playgrounds of New York City, but he was also very smart about the media game.

“I believe he changed the way in which basketball got covered in this country.”

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Luke echoed his colleague's sentiments.

“It's sometimes easy to forget how good a basketballer he was; he was the MVP of the league,” Luke said.

“He is one of the rare people in sport, maybe even worldwide, who was able to keep the exact same energy on court as he has and did off court.

“His ability to just be able to go from zero to a hundred was remarkable.”

Those characteristics were on full display during Perth’s clash with Adelaide on January 25, 2019, at RAC Arena.

After an incredible four-point play by Bryce Cotton, the now six-time MVP, and his Red Army fired back at Williams.

“The four-point play is legitimately one of the most iconic plays in world basketball,” Luke said.

“You don't see it a great deal [in sport] where the player [comes over] and says he’s going to shove it right up him.

“Corey took it in the perfect way, which goes back to his authenticity.

“He said what he said about Bryce Cotton, for whatever reason, leading up to it, but he didn't shy away from it. He had a laugh, and he understood that he made his comment and can’t shy away from it.

“I don't think many commentators would have accepted it in any sport right across the world as well as he did.”

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Another who worked alongside Williams is 2018 NBL champion Pete Hooley, who credited him for getting the League to where it is today.

“He’s a big reason for us even getting the NBL to this point, and its continued growth,” Hooley said.

During his NBL career, Williams won the 2010 NBL MVP and played 114 matches across four seasons for Townsville and Melbourne.